Light in the Dark||TLOU||Joel x Reader

•9•

*

Joel and (Y/N) sit against the window, barely an inch between them and Bill watches, a small frown on his face. The pink tone of the sun gives them a soft glow. He then hits the side of the truck, signalling to Ellie in front. "This'll do. Stop!"

They slowly halt to a stop and Joel shrugs to her, making (Y/N) abruptly move her body from his. "Just keep it runnin', alright?"

"That girl nearly got us killed." Bill starts, clambering out of the back.

"You gotta admit -" Joel jumps out with him and turns to help the firefly, but she brushes him off. "-she did hold her own back there."

Bill laughs. "You ain't gonna make it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." (Y/N) replies, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, oh, ah...." he ignores her, digging around in his bag and throwing an object to Joel.

"What's this?"

"You'd be amazed at how many cars still got gas in 'em."

"Appreciate it." Joel admits, looking down at it in his hands. He then sighs, clearly coming out of his comfort zone now. "Look. Bill, about your buddy back there. Uh... that's a tough deal. And I'm ah...."

Bill regards his sympathy. "We square?"

"We're square." Joel agrees.

"Then get the fuck out of my town." He turns away and thunder rumbles in the distance, occupied by a flash of bright light. Joel jerks his head slightly back to the truck to (Y/N) and the two clamber in with no words exchanged between them.

--

The sun had been replaced by dreary grey clouds and the never ceasing, pouring rain which taps against their truck.

Joel drives, leaning his arm against the window with his head against his hand. (Y/N) sits beside him, her knees up and her eyes tightly shut as she sleeps; light snores escaping. She looked peaceful, content with the hand she had been dealt and he steals a glance at her, but an exclamation of 'oh man' from Ellie jolts him out of his daydream.

"Hey, what happened to sleeping? Be quiet, you'll wake (Y/N) up." He scolds and she sighs.

"Sorry, but I know it doesn't look like it, but this here is not a bad read." She states, sitting up and holding a comic. "Only one problem. Right there." Flipping open the page, she points. "To be continued."

(Y/N) stirs and Joel keeps checking on her whilst Ellie shakes her head. "I hate cliffhangers."

"Where did you get that?" Joel questions, his voice low enough not to awaken her.

"Uhhh, back at Bill's. I mean all this stuff was just lying there." She justifies and Joel sighs, giving up. "What else did you get?"

"Well..." Ellie sits back in her seat, unzipping her backpack. "Here. This make you all nostalgic?" She holds out a tape.